Big 12 Breakdown: Vault

AMES, Iowa?Saturday's Big 12 Gymnastics Championship in Hilton Coliseum is a mere four days away. This week cyclones.com will provide a daily breakdown of each event in the order the Cyclones will compete in Saturday's meet, culminating with a look at the all-arounders and the team competition Friday. Additionally, Iowa State head coach Jay Ronayne will analyze each event. His preview can be accessed by clicking on the video link below.

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Jay Ronayne Previews Vault Big 12 Breakdown: Floor Exercise		Big 12 Championship Central

Iowa State has had an up-and-down season on vault, but the Cyclones will welcome the addition of junior Megan Barnes into their lineup. Barnes fought back from a midseason injury to re-join the ISU vault lineup in Iowa State's last meet, scoring the Cyclone-high tally. The Salt Lake City, Utah, native also boasts the Cyclones top season score of 9.900.

Missouri's Sarah Shire is the favorite as she is ranked ninth nationally with a regional qualifying score (RQS) of 9.900 and a season high of 9.950. Ashley Jackson of Oklahoma is the other Big 12 gymnast ranked in the top 25 on the apparatus. Sitting 20th, the Sooner has an RQS of 9.885 and a season-best tally of 9.925.

Oklahoma leads the way in the team portion on vault. The Sooners are ranked seventh in the country with an RQS of 49.220 and a season best of 49.400. Missouri and Nebraska are right on Oklahoma's heels with rankings of 11 and 12, respectively. The Tigers have scored as high as 49.250, while the Cornhuskers have reached the 49.400 mark.

The Cyclones' third event at the Big 12 Championship, uneven bars, will be previewed Wednesday.

The fight for the vault title and the Big 12 crown starts Saturday at 2 p.m. in Hilton Coliseum.